The Bad Love in Fences
In the play Fences, by August Wilson, love was portrayed in a "bad" way between Troy and Rose. The main character, Troy, had an affair on his wife, Rose. He and Rose had been together for eighteen long years before it came to a sudden halt. Troy had been secretly sneaking over to another woman's house every Friday after work and on Saturdays. As this event carried on for many months, Troy ended up making this woman, Alberta, pregnant. Having to find the courage tell his wife, who actually did absolutely everything for him, was very hard for him to do. Troy turned an amazing, good love into a bad love in an instance by having a forbidden love affair, breaking hearts along the way, and passing away with the legacy he left to his family. Troy's life long friend, Bono, who he had met from the penitentiary, knew he was eyeing Alberta from the very beginning of the play. Bono told him Rose was "a good woman" (2.1.91) and that he "don't want to see him mess relationship up" (2.1.105). Bono begged him not to do anything that would hurt Rose, but as time went on, Troy did just that. Troy had an affair on Rose and eventually had to tell her the truth because he was expecting to be "a daddy...somebody's daddy" (2.1.193-194). When he told this news to Rose he showed no remorse nor signs of sympathy. He said that their relationship was stuck "in the same place for eighteen years" (2.1.323-324) and after "eighteen years he wanted to steal second" (2.1.312). After breaking this news to Rose and seeing how hurt she was, Troy still continued to go see Alberta. Troy expect Rose to "come to an understanding" (2.1.260-261) with him about the affair. In her deep pain, Rose asked him if he was going to continue on with his relationship with Alberta, and without a doubt, Troy said he was. Troy stated that "she firms up his backbone" (2.1.309-310) and that "she gives him a different idea... a different understanding about himself" (2.1.268-269). During this particular instance, that was when Rose really knew what she meant to Troy. Rose stayed distant and did not talk to him for six months. After six long months, Rose finally had something to say about him leaving home every weekend and living a double life. She said "I can't live like this. I won't live like this. You livin' on borrowed time with me" (2.2.19-20). Troy was in denial that he was living a double life, though. He continued his second side life despite the pain it caused Rose. Unfortunately, the time came when Troy was given his own dose of pain. Not only was he not there when Alberta had the baby, but he also lost Alberta completely in the same instance. Tragically "Alberta died while having the baby" (2.2.85). After three days at the hospital with his newborn, Troy came home and immediately sought to Rose for nurture and love. He said "shes innocent.. and she ain't got no mama" (2.3.3-4) "I'd appreciate it if you'd help me take care of her" (2.3.24-25). At first Rose did not want to care, but her heart was too pure not to. Rose agreed to "take care of Troy's baby for him... cause... she's innocent" (2.3.26-28), but she immediately made it clear that they were not together. "This child got a mother. But you a womanless man" (2.3.31). Rose and Troy continued to live together, but not as the same couple they once were. After seven years, Troy eventually died as well. With the death of him and Alberta, this left the child in the care of Rose. However, Rose did continue to step up and perform her role as a mother in the little girl Raynell's eyes. Even though she was emotionally torn apart of how this little girl entered her life, she never gave up on her. In fact, she felt that "Raynell... was all them babies she wanted and never had" (2.5.219-220). Despite the pain Troy caused her, she still left her heart open wide and continued to pour out her love for her family. Through out the play love was indeed the "bad" side. All of the actions Troy made in his life changed a love that could have been good. The love Troy had towards Rose was "bad", but in turn Rose had nothing but "good" love for him. Even though Rose dealt with a forbidden love affair, broken hearts, and the passing away of important people in her life, she still was stronger than ever and continued her life as she knew it. Works Cited: Delbanco, Nicholas, and Alan Cheuse. "Fences." Literature: Craft and Voice. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 1489-1530. Print.